Fabric holder



Oct. 23, 1956 R. c. LA TsoN FABRIC HOLDER Filed oct. s, 1954 INVEN TOR. RmHARu C. Lam-:mu

ATTO :2N EYS United States Patent O FABRIC HOLDER Richard C. Latson, Atlanta, Ga.

Application October 8, 1954, Serial No. 461,155

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-110) The present invention relates to dress making and tailoring tools and specifically to a clamping device for temporarily holding a fabric piece and an elastic piece together during a sewing operation.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and light weight tool for assisting a dressmaker or tailor to secure a fabric piece and an elastic piece in confronting face to face relation while sewing the two of them together.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool for temporarily clamping together two or more lengths of fabric one of which is elastic in its characteristics.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a light weight tool having a rule on one face thereof for measuring fabrics between two clamping members which slide on the rule.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent upon consideration of the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the device of the present invention in use holding a piece f fabric to a strip of elastic;

Figure 2 is a view in cross section on line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an end view in cross section on line 3 3 of Figure l.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing where like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the invention is seen to consist of an elongated bar 1t? having ruled indicium 11 on one face and having knurled sides 12 and 13.

A pair of clamping members 1-4 are larranged transversely of the bar 10. Each of the clamping members has a base 15 including a pair of sides and two ends. Each of the bases of the clamping members has a hole 17 extending from one end to the other thereof and which slidably receives the bar 1t), the hole in each base being slightly greater in dimensions than the corresponding dimensions of the bar to thereby permit limited tilting movement of the base with respect to the bar. In the form Ias shown, the bar is of generally rectangular shape, and the hole 17 in each of the bases 1'5 of the clamping members 14 is slightly greater in dimension than the width of the bar 10.

Means is provided on the bar 10 for holding the bases 15 of the clamping members 14 against sliding movement when in tilted position, such means embodying an upstanding ridge 9 on the bar 10 which extends along one of the sides of which one side is knurled as indicated by the numeral 13, the ridge 9 and the knurled side 13 engaging an adjacent wall portion or adjacent side wall of the hole 17 of the bases of the clamping member 14 when the bases are in tilted position, as shown in Figure 2.

In Figure l the elastic strip 18 is shown superimposed on a piece of fabric 19 and the arrows indicate the elastic has been stretched and exerts a stressing force in the direction of each of the arrows to tilt the clamping members 14 toward each other. This prevents the sliding of the clamping members toward each other and they serve to maintain the elastic 18 and the cloth piece 19 in con-v fronting face to face relation while sewing.

Each of the clamping members 14 are provided with normally closed spring biased toothed jaws Z1 with a spring 22 in the handle portion 23 biasing the handle portion 23 away from the base 15.

While only a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, other embodiments may be made and practiced and many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a new article of manufacture, a device for ternporarily clamping together a fabric piece and an elastic piece while sewing comprising a bar, a pair of clamping members arranged transversely of said bar, each member having a base including two ends, each of said bases having a hole extending from one end to the other end thereof and slidably receiving said bar, a pair of normally closed spring biased jaws positioned adjacent one end of each of the bases of the clamping members and having one of the jaws projecting from the one end of each of the basesy of the clamping members for holding a fabric piece and an elastic piece together, the hole in each base being slightly greater in dimensions than the corresponding dimensions of said bar to thereby permit limited tilting movement of said base with respect to said bar, and means on said bar operable to engage an adjacent wall portion of the hole and hold the base of each clamping member against tilting movement when in tilted position.

2. In a new article of manufacture, a device for temporarily clamping together a fabric piece and an elastic piece while sewing comprising a generally rectangular shaped bar, a pair of clamping members arranged transversely of said bar, each member having a base including a pair of sides and two ends, each of said bases having a hole extending from one end to the other end thereof and slidably receiving said bar, a pair of normally closed spring biased jaws positioned adjacent one end of each of the bases of the clamping members and having one of the jaws projecting from the one end of each of the bases of the clamping members for holding a fabric piece and an elastic piece together, the hole in each base being slightly greater in dimension than the width of said bar to thereby permit limited tilting movement of said base with respect to said bar, and means on one side of said bar operable to engage an adjacent wall portion of the hole and hold the base of each clamping member against sliding movement when in tilted position, said means comprising knurling along the face of said one side of said bar, the knurling of said bar engaging the adjacent side wall of the hole of each base clamping member when the base is in tilted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 392,519 McGill Nov. 6, 1888 614,387 Hargis NOV. 15, 1898 831,627 Pickens Sept. 25, 1906 1,281,680 Smith Oct. 15, 1918 1,365,823 Gilbert Ian. 18, 1921 1,641,266 Giles Sept. 6, 1927 

